Rogues

This is a collection of short stories about various rogues written by a range of writers, with the notable selling point of containing a World of Ice and Fire historical novel. But it's far from filler - there are some great stories in here. Joe Abercrombie's Tough Times All Over is a whirlwind adventure following a package that is stolen by one rogue after another, and would make a great movie. Carrie Vaughn's "The Roaring Twenties" is a great episode, and made me want to read more of these characters' exploits. George R. R. Martin's The Rogue Prince is written as a history text, and so is rather dry, but adds more interesting depth to the world of A Game of Thrones. I don't think there were any stories in the rather weighty tome that I'd suggest skipping - it's a very solid anthology.

The Magicians

Lev Grossman's The Magicians is essentially "what if the Harry Potter world was populated with actual teenagers who are messed up and obsessed with sex like real teenagers are. Also Narnia". It works surprisingly well, with Grossman throwing in references to many other stories and ideas without going over the top or seeming inauthentic or corny. It's very much set in our modern world, except when the characters sometimes step out into more magical worlds that are related to our world in various ways. It's an excellent read.